The Electronic Journal of Information Systems Evaluation provides critical perspectives on topics relevant to Information Systems Evaluation, with an emphasis on the organisational and management implications

Editorial

Professor Shaun Pather, based in the Faculty of Informatics & Design at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Cape Town, South Africa, has spent more than 20 years teaching and researching in the field of ICT management.

His research has focused on the evaluation of Information Systems (IS) effectiveness, particularly within e‑Commerce, e‑Government and other web enabled contexts. He has developed models for evaluating e‑Commerce success, and also has an interest in the application of e‑Service Quality evaluation. Shaun has also extended his interest in IS evaluation into practical community engagement and Information Society issues, centered around societal upliftment facilitated by ICT’s. He has published in peer reviewed journals and has presented papers at several conferences. He has led several research projects with university and government partners in both the private and public sector. Professor Pather is also a Fulbright Scholar (University of Washington, 2009‑2010).

Abstract

Abstract: The issue of businesses understanding cloud adoption exists, despite the diverse academic research on cloud adoption. The various approaches (business and technical), theories (Technology‑Organization‑Environment, Transaction cost theory, R
esource based view) have resulted in a fragmented and piece‑meal approach to understanding cloud adoption. The purpose of this article is to review and consolidate the diverse literature on cloud adoption. This can help organizations decide their cloud r
eadiness and understand the business implications from multiple perspectives. The paper begins with a focused review of existing literature on cloud adoption. The articles in the literature are then systematically classified on various parameters such as
the perspective used (business versus technical), the dominant theory used and the adoption factors that are identified. Two existing frameworks are also critiqued to highlight their strengths and limitations. Finally, a short check list based on the c
umulative findings is prepared. The review reveals common themes in terms of examining cloud adoption. It shows that cloud adoption has been primarily examined from the innovative technology perspective using the Technology‑Organization‑Environment framew
ork. The two other dominant approaches that come up include the economic/cost perspective driven by transaction cost theory and the use of multi‑criteria decision framework. The article contributes by reviewing and consolidating the diverse literature on
the topic of cloud adoption. The study organizes the recurrent themes in the reviewed articles in terms four important areas. Within each area, the study also provides some commonly asked questions that could help organizations understand their readiness
to adopt cloud. This way, the article integrates different perspectives and provides organizations with a simple, holistic check list to examine business implications of moving to cloud.

Abstract

Abstract: The issue of businesses understanding cloud adoption exists, despite the diverse academic research on cloud adoption. The various approaches (business and technical), theories (Technology‑Organization‑Environment, Transaction cost theory, R
esource based view) have resulted in a fragmented and piece‑meal approach to understanding cloud adoption. The purpose of this article is to review and consolidate the diverse literature on cloud adoption. This can help organizations decide their cloud r
eadiness and understand the business implications from multiple perspectives. The paper begins with a focused review of existing literature on cloud adoption. The articles in the literature are then systematically classified on various parameters such as
the perspective used (business versus technical), the dominant theory used and the adoption factors that are identified. Two existing frameworks are also critiqued to highlight their strengths and limitations. Finally, a short check list based on the c
umulative findings is prepared. The review reveals common themes in terms of examining cloud adoption. It shows that cloud adoption has been primarily examined from the innovative technology perspective using the Technology‑Organization‑Environment framew
ork. The two other dominant approaches that come up include the economic/cost perspective driven by transaction cost theory and the use of multi‑criteria decision framework. The article contributes by reviewing and consolidating the diverse literature on
the topic of cloud adoption. The study organizes the recurrent themes in the reviewed articles in terms four important areas. Within each area, the study also provides some commonly asked questions that could help organizations understand their readiness
to adopt cloud. This way, the article integrates different perspectives and provides organizations with a simple, holistic check list to examine business implications of moving to cloud.

Abstract

Abstract: The practice of IT cost benchmarking using IT managerial control ratios suffers from a number of methodological and theoretical issues. These issues arise from the following three assumptions: (1) the functional form of the relationship between a numerator and denominator used in an IT managerial control ratio is strictly proportional; (2) the nature of the underlying probability distribution of industry samples of IT managerial control ratios is normal and (3) position of an organization in relation to an industry norm can be unambiguously interpreted. If these assumptions are not met, then determining and interpreting a company’s position with respect to IT costs in relation to industry averages and other companies within the industry is subject to some ambiguity. This paper uses empirical tests and theoretical arguments to show that these three assumptions may not hold true in practice. It is then argued that regression‑based analysis of IT costs can be used to address these issues. Further theoretical and empirical work is needed to develop these regression models so that practitioners can have a reliable and valid method for estimating and interpreting their company’s position with respect to IT costs in relation to an industry norm. At the minimum, practitioners should not rely on IT cost benchmarking for setting their IT budgets without taking into account the methodological and theoretical issues.

Abstract

Abstract: The purpose of this study is to propose a theoretical model describing what makes Scrum team members successful at transferring knowledge. Twelve semi‑structured interviews were conducted at two Scrum companies in Cape Town, South Africa. Partic
ipants interviewed ranged from project managers and Scrum masters to software developers, business analyst and testers. The interviews were all transcribed, then analysed using thematic analysis. Past studies have already identified factors (i.e. charact
eristics that enable people to transfer knowledge) that are known to impact knowledge transfer. This study further extends the body of knowledge by revealing how these existing factors are interrelated while impacting knowledge transfer. In addition, new
factors (i.e. empathy and articulation skills of the source) are proposed, which were found to further impact knowledge transfer in Scrum teams. The results have shown that recipients perceive team members who are able to successfully transfer knowledg
e as having the following characteristics: motivation, capability, credibility, empathy, articulate and ability to communicate enough. The contribution of this study to practice is a list of team member characteristics, that HR managers could foster throu
gh appropriate training, to help improve the knowledge transfer within Scrum teams. This paper offers new contributions and a theoretical model to the under researched area of knowledge transfer within Scrum teams.

Abstract

Abstract: Selecting the right IT projects is increasingly important for many organizations. Project portfolio managers play a key role during project selection, but even though they have a great impact on the selection process, we have little knowledge ab
out how they decide which projects to recommend for initiation. Most of the research on project selection is normative, suggesting new methods, but available empirical studies indicate that many methods are seldom used in practice. This paper addresses th
e issue by providing increased understanding of IT project selection practice, thereby facilitating the development of methods that better fit current practice. The study is based on naturalistic decision‑making theory and interviews with experienced proj
ect portfolio managers who, when selecting projects, primarily rely on political skills, experience and personal networks rather than on formal IT project‑selection methods, and these findings point to new areas for developing new methodological support f
or IT project selection.

Abstract

Abstract: Making decisions for Information Technology (IT) investments have become a critical decision in businesses today. IT investments are being seen as a strategic investment for many organizations. However, organizations are also concerned about h
ow IT investment can be translated into dollar returns. In response, earlier literatures had attempted to propose evaluation methods and measurements to justify such investments. Unfortunately, none of these proposed solutions were considered appropriate
for IT investment, hence to date, there are still no formal evaluation methods on the measurement of such investments. In view of this, this paper attempts to perform a survey across different evaluation solutions to justify IT investment and seek to furt
her understand the different reasons that may prevent the IT industry from defining a standard evaluation method.